Things You Can't Believe
by JustJinxed
Summary: On a stormy day, Daryl finds a woman from his past. But nothing is that easy, not anymore. The apocalypse brings out the worst in people, but maybe, sometimes...it does the opposite? Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this idea has been rolling around in my head for a while, and I've suddenly become completely obsessed with The Walking Dead again...just let me know what you think, if I should continue. XD And I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>"Dammit, John, pick up your feet!"<p>

The afternoon sky was dark and heavy as a deep, rumbling thunder covered the woman's harsh whisper. Her partner, a tall, lanky man, nodded and watched where he was stepping a little more carefully. The two had been walking for what seemed like forever. He wanted to collapse, but it wasn't safe. Not that they were ever _truly_ safe anymore, but they weren't going to stop in the middle of a town. They needed to get in and get out – preferably with food. He'd chew on a tree branch, though, if that meant they both got out of there with their skin. Glancing up at the sky, he paused for a moment before following beside his companion again. He had been a photographer before the world went to hell and he still had to resist the urge to snap a shot – weather pics were his favorite to shoot, and the lightening popping off above them was reawakening his old instincts. In his opinion, the weather should be dark and gloomy every day...it only fit with this new world.

"We need to find a damn store and get out of here. The rain's gonna start soon."

"Calm down, Al. Little rain never hurt anybody." He waited for his partner to look at him, shoot him a little glare, or react in _some_ way...but it didn't happen. The brunette only continued to walk, her boots not making a sound on the sidewalk beneath her. His heavy heart continued to sink. He had only known Alice for a of years. She was a young reporter with a lot of sass, and enough curiosity to make a cat look at her like she was stupid. They were often paired together on assignments, and they quickly became great friends. She was loud and knocked doors down, while he...took a much gentler approach, and could repair any damage that she may have done in her pursuit of a story, or whatever it happened to be that day. But the times had been hard on her...hell, it was the _apocalypse_, it'd been hard on everyone. Still, what she'd endured, it made his stomach churn. John's thoughts came to a halt as the sudden downpour washed over them, instantly soaking them to the bone.

"Shit." Alice cursed, shoving her wet bangs out of her eyes. "Lets duck into that convenience store. Stay quiet." As if she had to tell him that.

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><p>The store had been unexpectedly vacant, and there had actually been food on the shelves. Junk food mostly, but food was food at that point. The two were already thin enough as it was, they couldn't afford to be picky.<p>

"So, what next, boss?" John asked Alice quietly as she finished off a Snickers bar. She shrugged.

"Gotta get to the woods, I guess." His look of protest wasn't given time to form actual words. "We don't stay in cities, John."

"It's only a little town..." He grumbled, more like a defeated puppy than anything. The woman rolled her eyes as the pair threw their light bags back over their shoulders. There was no guaranteed safety anywhere, but Alice would rather take her chances in the woods than be suddenly trapped in a building somewhere. Though she had been born and raised in the south, she was never a fan of camping...but now, she almost took comfort in the forest. They had always appeared empty, people were few and far between, if they were even there at all. Sometimes she could forget what actually happened.

Of course, those moments never last long.

Just then, they heard gunshots, and both of them ducked to the floor. After a brief pause, Alice, still crouching, made her way to the door. Peering out, she managed to see a curly haired man fall to the ground, a walker pinning him. He managed to fight for a moment, and that's when Alice's humanity bubbled back to the surface. She didn't know this man, he could do them both harm once she saved his ass. But really...she couldn't just let him die.

The brunette barely heard John yell her name as she kicked the door open and fired one shot into the walker's head. She kept the gun pointing in the man's direction as he struggled to get the walker off of him.

"_Alice!_" John yelled, standing directly behind her at that point. There were more walkers just a few feet away, shuffling down the street. The rain was hardly slowing them down, even though it made it difficult for everyone else to see clearly. She fired off a few shots at the ones closest, then snapped out of her brief (lethal?) daze as a truck suddenly screeched to a halt beside them.

"Rick!" Another man called out to his friend from the driver's seat. The curly haired man – whom she know knew as Rick – jumped to his feet and looked at the two.

"Get in!" He yelled over the sound of the storm and the walkers. Quickly, he disappeared into the passenger side of the truck. John called Alice's name as she turned her focus back to taking out a few more of the undead. In the back of her mind, she could hear the strange men yelling at them as well, but she was focused on her task. It took her less than thirty seconds to run out of bullets, and when she stopped to reload, she felt herself being lifted and thrown into the back of the truck by John, and they sped off into some new direction, not knowing what to expect.

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><p>It was a rough ride. They were going so fast, the cold rain drops felt like needles piercing their skin. Alice could hear the men arguing in the cab of the truck, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She hadn't expected anything different...actually, she hadn't expected anything all. Usually her actions were at least a <em>little<em> thought out. Sure, she was known to be impulsive, but she was quite l she hadn't been thinking _anything_ when she stepped out into the road and shot those walkers. The men were probably fighting about taking two strangers back to whatever little hellhole they were currently inhabiting. Alice could feel a headache forming like the rumbling thunder above...sugar crash, probably. Then again, she always seemed to get headaches when storms rolled through...something about the change in pressure, or some bullshit. She closed her eyes and huddled closer to John for warmth. He gave her a light pat on the shoulder, trying to offer some sort of comfort.

It wasn't too much longer before the truck slowed and came to a halt. The brunette sat up straight and tried to focus on the blurry images around them. They had arrived at a large house...maybe three stories? It had gotten dark, so she couldn't really make out much. After a moment, Rick, the man she saved earlier, spoke as he stood on her side of the truck.

"Y'all come on inside." When their reluctance was obvious, he spoke again. "You need to dry off. No time for getting' sick anymore, right?" After a bit more staring, he sighed and spoke again, dropping the diplomatic tone as he looked at Alice directly. "I want to thank you properly." He smiled. "You saved my skin out there. And I appreciate that." The woman tried to take in his appearance. She didn't doubt the sincerity of his gratitude – but who could bullshit about that? She just saved him from becoming walker chow. That's when she noticed his clothes...he was some kind of law man? Alice wasn't given much of a choice, however, as John began to climb out of the truck. He held out his hand as he greeted the man.

"Name's John. And that's Alice." He gave him a short, but friendly smile, which was returned as the man shook his hand.

"Rick Grimes. It's a pleasure." Not wasting anymore time on small talk, they began to walk towards the house. The rain still hadn't let up, but on the bright side, she was not longer upset about missing a shower...at least for the time being. As they walked up to the steps and into the house, they were greeted by a few others, standing just inside the first room of the house. Instantly, she felt uneasy. It was natural, she supposed, for them to feel nervous. She and John were strangers in their shelter. Maybe they couldn't see that the pair was just as nervous...but why shouldn't they be? They didn't know these people. They were at their mercy now. At first, there had only been a few men standing in the room, but then two women joined. A blonde, and another woman, who immediately went to Rick's side.

"So what's Shane sayin' is true." A gray haired man broke the awkward silence.

"Everyone, this is Alice and John. They saved my skin today." Still feeling the tension in the room, Rick continued. "So I'm grateful to 'em. Lori, do we have any dry towels?" At that question, everyone began to break off into their own conversation, taking turns to introduce themselves to the newcomers. Alice heard heavy footsteps on the stairs and into the hallway coming towards them. When she looked up and locked eyes with the man, she froze, her green eyes wide.

"Ah, Daryl, this is – "

"Ally." Daryl cut Rick off before he could finish, and stared at the girl.

"Daryl Dixon." Her voice was quiet, and full of disbelief, like the rug had just been pulled out from under her. All of the sudden, it was like she had no control over her body. She just stood there, staring at him, completely frozen.

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><p><strong>Abrupt cliffhanger? Sorry, I didn't want it to be too long!<br>Let me know what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I've had the first bit of this written for a little while, but I wanted to wait until after the season finale...what did you guys think? I loved it. It was heart wrenching and unsettling at the same time. I love Rick's new attitude, because I'd be pretty pissed if I was in his situation...also, Lori gets on my nerves. Carol's the worst for me, though. I think that woman's a great actress, but the character pissed me off. xD She's so whiny, and I really hope they don't try to do anything with her and Daryl. **

**ANYWAY, SORRY. Rambling. Tangent. I hope you enjoy! :D And thanks so much to all who reviewed! You guys are awesome.**

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><p><em>Daryl Dixon<em>. She couldn't believe it. Suddenly she was unable to breathe, as if her lungs were crushed by some imaginary force. And he seemed to be just as surprised, in his own way. It was strange, seeing someone from her past...John was the only familiar face she had seen in months. Well...she assumed it had been months...but really, who keeps up with that anymore? Hell, she hadn't seen him in so many years, it was a wonder he even recognized her. But he didn't look any different. Alright, a bit older, a little more worn...and maybe something else was a little different, but there was no mistaking him. It wasn't until Rick spoke up that she remembered they weren't alone.

"You two know each other?" He asked, and Alice briefly glanced around at the rest of the room, seeing the mirrored expressions of curiosity.

"Yeah." Was all Daryl offered. She looked back at him and felt the tiniest hint of a smirk pull at her lips. Just like Daryl – giving them no more explanation. After another long spell of silence, Lori disappeared, then quickly reappeared with clean towels.

"Here you go, Carol's found some clothes for you both in the next room, I need to finish dinner." Everyone slowly began to resume their previous activities as Lori led the two newcomers to the next room. Daryl didn't stop staring at her for one second, and she felt an old, familiar blush creep onto her skin.

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><p>The bathroom that Alice was given to change in was certainly...homey. The purple floral wallpaper gave it an elegant feel, and there were still tiny hand soaps piled up next to the sink faucet. It made her smile, but at the same time, it made her sick. She had to guess that this home didn't belong to anyone in this group. Of course she couldn't say for certain, it was just a feeling she had. She tried to squeeze the remaining rain water from her hair before drying the rest of her body. As she slipped out of her drenched clothes, she paused as something in the mirror caught her eye. Slowly she turned to look into it, and her eyes settled on a scar across her ribcage. There was another on her stomach, then again lower on her abdomen. She removed her trousers to see more scars, lines across her thighs. As quickly as she could manage, she threw on her new clothes. They felt big on her, but they were warm and dry, and that's all she needed. Alice flung the door open and took a few steps into the guest bedroom before she realized that there was someone else in there with her. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer candlelight of the bedroom. The figure wasn't thin enough to be John, but the presence felt too familiar to be one of those new strangers.<p>

"Daryl." Her voice sounded more like a sigh of relief than anything. He only continued to stare at her, a mixture of the emotions he was trying to fight battling across his face. She knew his default emotion was always anger, so she was happy to see that one may be losing...she also saw confusion and disbelief. Then there was sadness, and finally...relief?

"C'mere." He said, his voice gruff and quiet. Still, there was a softness there that plucked at her heartstrings. Losing control of her body once again that night, she found herself walking towards him, and wrapping her arms around him. He had never been one for hugs or affection...but he seemed to be happy that she was alive. That warrants a hug, right? And just like that, she felt his strong arms around her, holding her firmly to him. And that's when she lost it. Ally couldn't remember the last time she cried. There was no place for it in the new world! Or maybe there just hadn't been time. Her father had always discouraged crying, anyway. But she couldn't help it now. He began to rock with her a little, which only increased the tear flow. Everything she had been holding back, all of her pent up emotions were spilling out onto his shirt..._he'd_ need a change of clothes in a minute. No words were spoken for what felt like hours, though she was sure it had only been a few minutes. They didn't need words...and thank God, because she sure as hell didn't know what to say. Since Daryl had never been great with words, she imagined he was in the same boat. He held her until she couldn't cry anymore, and even then, he seemed reluctant to let her go. She wiped her cheeks, then pulled back and offered him a small smile.

"Sorry." She whispered, feeling more than a little embarrassed. He gave her the tiniest of smiles himself and nodded back to the bathroom.

"Go splash some water on your face. Don't want them thinkin' I made you do any 'ah that." He smirked and she let out a short laugh as she nodded and headed back to the small room. He didn't need to get any more emotional than that. Actions speak louder than words...especially in the case of Daryl Dixon.

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><p>Alice tried not to waste much of the water she was given, but there was more dirt and grime than she realized, which made her tear streaks a lot more obvious. As soon as all the evidence was gone, she heard someone knock on the door.<p>

"Al? You okay in there?" John asked, sounding a little concerned. No matter how long she'd known John, she would never get used to his empathy. A sensitive man was just not something she had encountered very often in her lifetime, but she was thankful for him. He was sweet and protective, and she knew he only had her best interest at heart.

"Fine, John." She answered as she opened the door and looked at him, taking in his new appearance. He had on a blue button up shirt, which looked a little loose on his slim frame. Alice raised a brow.

"Sharp." He shot her a look, but grinned.

"Never thought I'd see you in a dress...oh wait, that's a shirt. Shorty." She smirked and shoved his arm.

"C'mon, they're settin' up dinner." He said, unnecessarily holding the door to the bathroom open for her. The brunette gave him a skeptical look.

"What do you make of them?" She asked, her expression curious. John shrugged, while taking some time to think.

"Seem nice enough. They're just as wary of us as we are of them, though, I think...which is probably a good sign, to be honest. They've already given us clothes and a dinner invitation...plus, you saved that guy's ass."

"What's his name again?" She questioned, furrowing her brow. She was always awful as keeping up with people's names.

"Rick." John smirked. "Seems to be the ring leader here. Good thing you went all kamikaze when you did. Bought us a roof for at least a couple nights, I reckon." Alice only rolled her eyes, still smiling, and walked to the door.

"Hey, Al..." When she only stopped and turned to look at him, he continued. "That guy, Daryl...how do you know him?"

"...He's just an old friend."

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><p>Dinner was going remarkably well, all things considered. Everyone was perfectly friendly, some more than others, but Alice could tell that they were trying their best. Thankfully, John was very much a people person, and had a couple of them laughing on a few occasions. Alice was sandwiched between him and a blonde woman. Andrea? Rick was across from them, sitting next to his wife, who was polite and attentive. She supposed there was no other way for her <em>to<em> be, considering recent events. Still, she hoped that Lori would cut it out soon. It was a bit unsettling.

"You were sayin' you both came from Miami?" Shane inquired, though Alice was not entirely sure how to take his tone.

"That's right." She nodded.

"And you didn't have any contact with other survivors? No other groups?" His eyes were locked on her's, and she felt uneasy. Still, she stared right back at him.

"Well, there were others at first, but we didn't stay with them." She responded quickly, not giving John the opportunity to speak. He was used to telling stories with pictures, not words, the way she was. John understood what she was doing, though, and kept quiet. "When things really hit the fan, we were on our own. 'Til we found your friend playin' around in the rain." Normally she wouldn't make jokes about a man almost becoming walker chow, but...he was fine. So it wasn't totally tasteless, right? That earned a few small grins, but the cop wasn't off her case just yet.

"How'd you make it all the way here with no help?" The table was silent again as they waited for her to answer.

"Shit...got lucky, I guess?" She let out a short laugh. "I've learned not to analyze things anymore, man. I'm just thankful to be breathin'." With that, she raised her water bottle in a sort of "cheers" moment, some nodded and there were a few quiet sighs of agreement. The table settled into a not-so-comfortable silence, keeping to their own thoughts.

"So.." A woman with short, graying hair spoke up. "How do you know Daryl?"

Everyone in the room seemed to tense a little. Al hadn't seen her in the room earlier, so she assumed, naturally, that the gossip had spread. She shouldn't be surprised, and she shouldn't be annoyed...but for some reason, she was. She never really enjoyed talking about herself, always assuring everyone that there wasn't much to say. There was, of course. There always is, no matter who you are. But to have a complete stranger inquire about her past...it was one of her "buttons", you could say. Alice saw Daryl stand straight from his position, leaning against a nearby wall. She didn't look at him, though. She had nothing to hide from that period of her life. The tension in the room was thick, so it was a shock to everyone when, after another long silence, the woman suddenly smiled warmly.

"We grew up together."

Slowly, everyone relaxed, most even smiled. Lori was the first to speak.

"Wow, a young Daryl Dixon? I can hardly imagine." Andrea was the next to speak, laughing as she did so.

"Did he carry his crossbow with him to school?" That earned a few more chuckles from around the table, but Alice kept her eyes on Daryl, as if silently asking if this topic was safe. Daryl was always a secretive person, but if he was actually as comfortable with these people as he seemed, maybe she could keep the topic centered on him, rather than directly on herself.

"A few times." She grinned, "Then again, it wasn't really _uncommon_ at that school. Everyone had some kinda hunting equipment in their cars, they couldn't really make a rule against it."

"..So what was he like?" Andrea pushed, leaning in a little and glancing at Daryl. Alice was amused. He must have made himself look like quite a big mystery.

"_Real charmer_." She leaned in as well, her voice turning into a terrible attempt at a whisper. With a wink, she continued. "Gave me my first kiss." There was an eruption of laughter at the end of the table from the two kids, while the rest of the table tried to hide their grins. The old man let a chuckle escape, clearly enjoying how candid the new young woman was being. Alice grinned at Daryl, who couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head at her, smirking at the memory.

"Wouldn't let me tell anyone, though." She added, pretending to sulk.

"'Cause you were _sixteen_, and I was twenty-two." Daryl finally spoke up, his tone gruff, but not harsh. "Your daddy woulda killed me."

Laughter erupted once more, and everyone seemed to start their own conversations. Taking a small breath, Alice took another sip of her water. She was relieved to have them off her back...for now. Maybe they bought her first story...though she didn't really like the suspicious looks that Shane kept giving her. It's not like they were bringing trouble back to their group! They really weren't even asking for _anything_. They were invited. Well...kind of kidnapped. Rescued? That's it, it was a mutual rescue. And they didn't _have_ to stay! Though, as she watched John chatter away with everyone, she started to think about where they would go...Surely they wouldn't _make_ them leave. It had already been clearly established that she had history with an important member of their group. Or, she assumed he was an important member. Dinner had consisted of a pretty tasty deer, and the rest of the group didn't really seem like the "hunting" type. But, as things were...she felt very nervous about staying. These people seemed good...decent, at least. _Daryl _was sticking by them, that should say something. Then again...it had been so long since she'd seen him. What was it...ten years? He could be a completely different person. She knew he was looking at her. The feeling of her skin on fire...it felt the same as it did all those years ago. Clutching her water bottle like a crutch, she mustered up the courage to look up at him.

The young woman hadn't imagined it. His blue eyes were locked on her's. She felt her stomach flip, and her heart miss a beat. She _wanted_ to chastise herself for turning back into a silly little teenage girl, but she couldn't help herself. After everything that's happened...Ally couldn't help but cling to the little hope she felt when she looked at him. She smiled, and he nodded at her, telling her to follow him. Her heart suddenly began to pound in her ears. Quietly, she got up and walked over to him. Just as he was about to lead her through the doorway, she heard an unfamiliar male voice fill the room. Then, a very familiar female voice right behind her.

"Alice?"

Her heart stopped. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes falling on that familiar head of golden hair.

"...Hope?"

Shit, it was like some kind of damn reunion in this house.

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><p><strong>Sooooo, another bit of a cliffhanger. Sorry! And I forgot to mention that this ties in just a tiny bit to my other TWD story, "Even Angels Fall" ...which still needs it's last chapter, now that I think about it. SORRY! XD I swear I will get to it. And I wouldn't say that you have to go read it, if you don't want to. It's a Glenn centered story, but you'll find out who this "Hope" character is a little. I'll explain who she is in this story as well, though, no worries! <strong>

**So yes...let me know if you're still liking this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys reading/reviewing/favoriting are AWESOME. I love you. Seriously.  
><strong>**Anyway, I won't bore you with a long introduction today. I really hope you enjoy!**

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><p>As she looked into the girl's bright blue eyes, her heart sank. Alice didn't notice that the room had gone quiet again. The next thing she knew, the young woman had her arms around her holding onto her for dear life.<p>

"Alice! I can't believe it's really you!" She returned the hug, more out of shock than anything else. That's when she saw the shock on everyone's faces, and knew the next question before Rick even stood up.

"You know Hope, too?" Alice manage to muster a small smile in response, lightly patting the blonde on the back.

"I've moved around a lot." She said with a nod, watching Hope as she pulled away, choosing to link arms with her instead. The group, however, looked like they required more of an explanation. The girls exchanged quick glances, as if trying to agree on what to say. Alice was the first to come up with something, of course. "We met at summer camp. This girl's a hell of a swimmer."

That was the second lie she told that night.

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><p>The rest of the evening was...a little strange. Everyone was marveling about how Alice met up with two people from her past. It seemed to make them optimistic. And, yes, she was happy to see them both. She hadn't thought about Daryl in some time, but Hope...she stayed with her. Alice knew the thing she went through after her mother's death. She knew a little too well, and she wondered if this new family of her's knew about it. The girl did seem comfortable with them, though, and they seemed to have accepted her as well. The young Asian boy was certainly looking at her with quite a bit of affection. A brief swell of big sister like happiness threatened to burst through her chest. That girl had always been a little awkward and shy when it came to the topic of boys. Alice knew she wasn't very experienced, but the way she would touch him every now and again...lightly on his shoulder, a brief, affectionate hand squeeze...it was sweet. So sweet, she thought she felt a cavity coming on. (And yes, maybe she was a little bit jealous.) Hope seemed happy enough, all things considered. A giant contrast from the last time she saw her.<p>

After a sufficiently awkward discussion about how she and John were not husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, or even the tiniest bit romantically inclined - it was decided that she would share a room with the single ladies of the group. That included Andrea, Carol and Sophia. John would share the next room with...what seemed like all the other guys except Rick. Then again, if Hope wasn't in the room with her, she was probably bunking with the Asian guy, Glenn...Oh, she would have to interrogate her later. She said her "goodnights" to the ladies of the room and laid down on her mattress. It was a strange feeling, sleeping on a giant cushion rather than the cold ground, or maybe a dirty sleeping bag. She should feel comfort...but she just felt weird. And, if she let herself dwell on it, she felt a little lonely. Maybe homesick was a more accurate description? This wasn't _her_ bed. Sure, over the past few months, she had the passing thought of her old mattress back in Miami, or the one she slept on when she visited her parents...but this was some stranger's bed. Some...probably _dead_ stranger's bed. It felt macabre.

Alice closed her eyes for a moment, then she felt something prodding her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and in the dim light of the room, she saw Hope crouched next to her. The young woman held a finger to her mouth and motioned for her to follow. Inwardly groaning (and realizing she should have expected this), Alice crawled out of her bed and quietly walked behind the girl, following her out the door and down the hallway. They came to an empty room and stepped inside.

"You have a bad dream?" Alice asked quietly, only half joking. Hope gave her a look, then tried to think her response through.

"When Glenn's there, I don't." She crossed her arms, the emptiness of the room chilling her.

"So, what? You two makin' like bunnies?" The brunette smirked while the blonde's mouth fell open in embarrassment.

"What? _No_!" She said, her voice an enthusiastic whisper. "We haven't..." Alice's eyes grew a little wide.

"Shit, girl. You're tellin' me that the world has _ended_ and you're still a _virgin_?" She was forced to choke back her laughter when Hope swatted her in the arm.

"_Alice_! That is _not_ what I wanted to _talk_ to you about!" The two stared at each other as the mood settled back into something more somber.

"How are you doing?" Her tone was so soft, it made Al's teeth hurt. She sighed loudly.

"_Dammit_, Hope." Quickly lowering her voice, she continued without pausing. "Tell me you did _not_ get me outta bed for a _Dr. Phil _session!"

"I'm_ worried_ about you, Alice!" Hope whispered, her expression so concerned, it ruined any annoyance the older woman felt about the situation. When the girl still looked unconvinced, the brunette went in for another hug. They stayed that way for a moment, Alice actually taking time to appreciate finding her young friend. It had been a while since they'd seen each other, or since she even sent her a text. She truly cared for the girl...but her arrival kind of threw a wrench in her plans with this new group. Potentially, at least. Finally, they pulled away.

"I'm fine, Hope." She offered a small smile. Hope remained unconvinced.

"You've always been good at saying that."

Just then, they heard someone at the door. Both of them jumped before realizing that Carol was standing out in the hallway, peering in warily at them. When she noticed that she scared them, she smiled a little, in an attempt to be friendly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just woke up and noticed you weren't in bed...wanted to make sure everything was alright." Alice smiled at her, putting a hand on Hope's shoulder.

"Fine, I'm sorry. We were just...catching up." Carol smiled again and nodded slightly.

"Right, guess there's a lot to catch up on.." Alice still noticed the older woman looked wary. She must have at least caught the last bit of their conversation. "I'll let you two get back to it, then."

"No need." Alice spoke quickly, then gave Hope a short smile. "The rest can wait 'til tomorrow, right?"

"...Right." Hope nodded, her tone reluctant. The pair followed Carol out of the room, only to be almost immediately met by Glenn, who seemed unusually relieved to see the object of his affection. Alice would have to interrogate her little Hope about that later. Then, just as they were about to reach the door to the ladies' bedroom, they saw Daryl standing in the hall a few feet away, watching her.

"I'll be right in, Carol." She said, inwardly cursing. Carol didn't linger, which means that Al was left staring at Daryl like a nervous schoolgirl until he raised his hand, motioning for her to come closer. Immediately, she followed. (And chastised herself once more for her silly behavior) He led her upstairs, then guided her into an empty bathroom.

"Wait 'til you hear footsteps pass," He was leaning in so close, she could feel his breath on her neck. "Then walk through that door." With that, he shut the door, and she waited.

Alice resisted the urge to pace in that moment. One would hope that time would chase a silly little crush away...but one would be _wrong_. Clearly. Her less pessimistic side was telling her that this was a good thing. It was a _blessing_. A gift from God. But she didn't want to "catch up" like old friends do. The truth was, after she moved away from Daryl, her life turned to absolute _shit_. But her Dad wanted to move back to Louisiana, closer to her grandparents. And she was only sixteen, what was she supposed to do? Sure, back then she wanted to proclaim her love for Daryl Dixon on every rooftop in that little hillbilly town...but what could she have done? Marry him? Even in _her_ old world town, that would've been weird for everyone to handle. Besides, she used to have big dreams...she wanted to be a dancer. Ballet, specifically. But, really when she thought about it, Daryl couldn't even have had feelings for her back then. He used to do odd jobs for her dad, he knew her since she was a toddler and he was just a neighborhood boy. Sure, her crush had been alive and well ever since she could remember, but it would've been super creepy if he felt the same back then, right?

Okay, so there _was _the whole "first kiss" thing. But it was because she was _moving_ the next day. He took pity on her.

And after rationalizing her _entire_ history with Daryl, she finally heard heavy footsteps passing her door. Instinctively, she held her breath and froze. While she knew that the person walking down the hall meant her no harm – Really, it was probably the old man – it still made her stomach churn. Alice tried to calm herself down, but her breaths kept coming, shorter and shorter until finally her panic set in and she flung the door open. The air in the hallway was still and quiet as she regained her ability to breathe normally. Carefully, she opened the door to the roof, and stepped outside.

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><p><strong>Sorry this chapter's a little short! : But if I included anymore, I was afraid it would be too long, so. Anyway, we got a _little_ more back story here, hope I didn't bore you too much! Let me know what you might wanna see more of or...what you're hating? Haha, just don't be too cruel T.T**

**Thanks for reading!**


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